Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31403 times:
Etihad Airways: Currently under the spotlight in the eyes of many, Etihad has suffered a lot of criticism by the conscious traveler in the past year. Perhaps due to unfriendly crew, bland service, or even worse, you may have been one of the victims stranded at the terminal during the fogs at AUH, surely, Etihad had no excuse for any of that. However, for an airline that now flies to 45 destinations spanning 4 continents in a mere 4 years, Etihad has come a long way that even the success of Emirates fails to boast such an achievement. Perhaps they are expanding too fast to stop for a moment and look back at what they’ve done, but who am I to judge. As far as I’m concerned, have they measured up to be the airline that can change the way I see the world? They certainly haven’t last time, but I did not give up.
Suvarnabhumi: An icon of an airport that has gone through hell and back several times over before its opening. The airport is already saturated with history so rich, when it is only still celebrating its one year anniversary all over the terminal. With plans to construct this airport dating back to the 1970’s, Suvarnabhumi was central to political, financial, and even spiritual issues beyond one’s belief. From budget overruns, corruption scandals and construction flaws to ghostly sightings and spiritual haunting, this airport was so difficult to manage that it had to go through more than one operator to reach to where it is now. Currently a hub for one of the world’s top airlines, and a focus for many others, Suvarnabhumi is leading the way into the future of airports that only its dark past was the key to achieve. So what’s the hype? After all, it is “The Golden Land”.
This combination was no doubt, inevitable! Not to forget Bangkok either. Well, we all know what happens in the “Sin City” anyways right? …
Welcome to my 4th Trip Report.
This TR is on my Etihad Airways flights from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok and back in Coral Economy, a few sights in Bangkok, and a thorough picture review of Suvarnabhumi’s terminal. This report contains lots of pictures, and is quite long. I hope you enjoy it.
I was supposed to do this trip in October but I accidentally (and stupidly) washed my passport after I returned from Hong Kong, which caused quite the delay. As that mess cleared up, I had a few days off from work in December, so I thought I’d give it another shot and visit Bangkok for the first time.
In choosing the most ideal way to get to BKK, my selection pool was quite straight forward: Oneworld or Etihad, as you can see from my trip-reporting history. My first attempt to search for flights was on the Internet, and as always, was with Cathay Pacific (CX 750/751 DXB-BOM-BKK and continues to HKG). However, Cathay failed to please price-wise as the fare was quite high (Are CX fares quite expensive or is it just me?). Etihad on the other hand, offered a cheaper fare, with the more convenient option of avoiding the long drive to DXB.
Keeping EY in mind, I went to my travel agent to book my ticket and I discovered that through the agency, CX offered a KILLER deal to Bangkok that no one could resist. However I figured that I would stick with Etihad since I flew Cathay Pacific back in September. So Etihad it was. This time around however, the attempt to book a single seat in Pearl Business was impossible as it was high travel season and nothing was available. Besides, EY’s double daily service to BKK is quite popular, especially in Pearl Business Class where seats are almost always sold out. So I went ahead with Coral Economy.
Some milestones that I have achieved after this trip are as follows:
1) My first time on an Etihad flight that is longer than three and a half hours.
2) My first time on the Boeing 777-300ER.
3) My first time to Bangkok.
Tuesday December 18th, 2007
I woke up in the middle of the night at 5:40am for some strange reason, and realized that I could check-in for my flight online. Yes, Etihad has finally introduced online check-in, which I found out about a month prior. Web Check-In, as EY terms it, opens up 20 hours prior to scheduled departure time.
Etihad’s online check-in interface:
Etihad’s online check-in was quite straight forward, user-friendly, and a great addition to the experience. They definitely scored a plus on this one. I went ahead with the usual formalities associated with such a feature, and selected 30K so as to be right by the wing so I could for once, get to see the beautiful raked wingtips of the 77W. I printed my boarding pass and was all set to travel.
By that time, I was coming down with a really bad cold. It was certainly not the time for this, so I went back to bed hoping that some miracle would make it go away. However, by late morning I went to the doctor, who gave me some great meds to ease my way through the flight.
Throughout the rest of the day I spent the time packing and just preparing for my flight and by 6:30pm I was ready for my 10:40pm flight. I sat with my mother till about 7:40pm, when I bid my goodbyes and proceeded with my luggage outside to fetch a taxi.
I was quite worried that my flight would be delayed for some technical issue. The reason for this is because Etihad only has 5 B77W’s that are barely on the ground for more than an hour during turnarounds. So if an aircraft goes tech, a replacement will be quite impossible to come by, especially if the flight is full. However, all I could do was hope for the best. In hopes of getting an idea of the situation tonight, my ‘insider source’ informed me that my aircraft was A6-ETA which was to arrive from DMM for a 1.5hr turnaround at AUH, before heading out to BKK. I was also informed that the entire crew on my flight have yet to complete 6 months at Etihad. It should be quite an interesting flight I thought to myself.
By 8:05pm I had arrived AUH and was dropped off by Departure gates 2/3/4. Luckily, I was traveling right before the peak time at AUH so the terminal wasn’t overly crowded, however it was on its way there. Before going in, I stopped to smoke a cigarette.
AUH passenger drop off area:
I went through security, and then ran straight for the FIDS to check on my flight. Not only was it on time, but Etihad’s entire network also seemed stable tonight. The FIDS also showed that my flight was open for check-in, so I proceeded to my respective counters. Ground handling for all airlines at AUH, as you may know, is done by ADAS. Etihad on the other hand is looking into doing their own ground handling (and at one point, catering as well) in the future. While that is a good idea from a service point of view, I think Etihad should stay away from this for now.
Check-In Counters for my flight:
By 8:15pm I was at the check-in counter. I handed my ticket, passport, and Etihad Guest card to a Filipino male ADAS agent, who greeted me very politely and with a smile. As he processed my information into the system, I placed my suitcase on the belt. He also informed me that AUH had enforced new LAG rules, and that if I had any liquids on me, I had to place all containers in a transparent plastic bag before the security check. Minutes later, he handed back my documents, and my printed boarding card, and wished a pleasant flight. I watched my suitcase till it disappeared behind the counter and then headed towards immigration. All in all check-in barely took 5 minutes.
Check-In Area:
My Boarding Pass:
I was excited about immigration this time around, because I had subscribed to the UAE-Gate service. This service allows you to go through immigration to and from any airport in the UAE, by using a card that stores all your information, including your fingerprints. This is done by going through dedicated UAE-Gate self-service kiosks by using your card and fingerprint. This process took less than 2 minutes and was absolutely fantastic.
After immigration, I proceeded to do a walk-around the terminal and duty free area to check out the action. The situation seemed under control and the terminal not overly crowded either.
Duty-Free:
Terminal area:
Free Internet Kiosks (Thanks to Changi Airports International):
FIDS:
My flight was to board from Gate 5, so I went to the transfer desk to ask about the gate that the DMM flight would arrive into, so as to be able to get the aircraft registration. Surprisingly, the DMM flight is scheduled to arrive at 1am the following day from some other gate. So my so-called ‘insider source’ wasn’t much of a source really.
Gate Information:
So I decided to just wait by the gate until I see the aircraft pull in. By 9pm, an announcement was made that an EY flight had just landed from CGK. That had to be my plane, I thought to myself, as it was also a B77W. Sure enough, an angry looking B77W pulled into Gate 5. It was in fact A6-ETE, the newest B77W at Etihad.
I felt quite hungry by this time, so I went downstairs to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite to eat. I had a typical airport-cafetria-type sandwich and a soda, then looked around the duty to free for a little while before deciding to head back up to my gate.
When I reached my gate, a queue had started to form by the security check. I went to the police officer in charge and asked him for a plastic bag to place my liquids in. He gave me the strangest look and asked what the reason for that was. I explained to him what I was told at check-in, and he just cut me off and ordered me to just stand in line and practically forget about it. So much for the LAG’s! At 9:30PM, a preliminary announcement was made for my flight.
At around 9:45PM I was through with the annoying security check and was inside the holding area. I managed to see the last pair of my crew board the flight. I also noticed that the holding area was absolutely crowded. Apart from our 95% full flight, there was another EY A332 bound for BAH at the adjacent gate.
Holding Area:
Last Call to BAH:
As the holding area almost became unbearably crowded, boarding commenced at around 10:15PM. No announcement was made whatsoever, let alone boarding by seat numbers. We were just ushered to board after the agents opened the doors. Everyone suddenly got up and ran to form a line as the agents yelled at us to “form 2 lines please.”
Boarding:
As I reached door 2L I was greeted by a Tamer, the Cabin Manager for tonight, and another stunning female Indian cabin crew. I was once told that during boarding of an EY flight, three crew members must be present at the door to greet the passengers in Arabic, English, and Tagalog. As I am not sure if this is enforced on other flights, it seemed to be in tact on tonight’s flight to BKK. I handed my boarding pass to the Indian crew, and she took a glance at it and handed it right back to me.
“Welcome on board sir, your seat is straight ahead through the galley, right past this gentleman over there, and to the right”
“Thank you”
“Enjoy your flight”
By 10:25PM I was on board.
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Reply 1, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31743 times:
Flight Information
Airline: Etihad Airways Flight No.: EY 402 Routing: Abu Dhabi - Bangkok Scheduled Departure Time: 10:40PM Actual Departure Time: 10:50PM (Pushback) Scheduled Arrival Time: 7:30AM +1 Actual Arrival Time: 7:30 AM +1 Equipment: Boeing 777-300ER Registration: A6-ETE
Facts, figures, and opinions of the aircraft in general:
According to www.airfleets.net A6-ETE was delivered to Etihad Airways on May 16th 2006, making it the latest B77W in EY’s fleet.
All 77W’s with Etihad are in a 2-class configuration used primarily on Asia routes, including certain flights to Saudi Arabia and depending on seasonality, to Brisbane.
This cabin was absolutely spotless. I was quite surprised that this standard of cleanliness was achieved in an hour of turnaround time.
I fell in love with the B77W instantly. Truly a GREAT plane!
I made my way to my seat, and along the way I passed several Asian cabin crew scattered around the cabin welcoming everyone on board politely. On my seat were a pillow and a blanket wrapped in a nice looking case. Once seated, I felt quite comfortable actually and realized that the 9-abreast seating, in especially the 3-3-3 configuration, really does make a difference. The leg space was also quite good. Most importantly however, there was no annoying IFE Box blocking your legroom.
Boarding:
Leg Space:
At 10:40PM our French captain made his departure announcement, informing us that we were ready to go, what our routing would be tonight, and that the flight time to BKK would be approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes.
Shortly after that announcement, the cabin crew passed around with water:
Soon enough, the doors were closed, pushback commenced at 10:50PM, and the mood-lighting went into full swing. It was that moment when I fell in love with the B77W. I wasn’t sure if it was the mood-lighting on this EY plane, or whether it was just the 77W in general, but the feeling was almost as similar to what I felt when I first flew the A345. In any case, this was the first time for me to experience mood-lighting to that effect (EK’s was slightly different).
Mood-Lighting:
As we pushed back, the engines slowly spooled into life and the safety demonstration was playing on the IFE screens. We began our short taxi to the runway while the cabin crew made their final checks and preparations before taking their seats for take-off.
Shortly afterwards, A6-ETE took over the runway and by 11:05PM we were up in the air. I was so surprised to notice that the 77W was absolutely quiet, and mind you, I was seated right by the engine. I noticed a huge difference between this plane and the much noiser 772 (ER and non-ER versions).
As we reached cruising altitude, the fasten seatbelt sign was turned off, and the crew got up from their seats to prepare for the service.
Shortly afterwards, the cabin manager also made a service announcement, as follows:
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A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Reply 2, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31690 times:
An interesting observation that I saw for the first time while flying, was that since the B77W had three sections of Coral Economy each of which had their own galley and lavatories, the crew closed the curtains for each section, partitioning it from the next, for more privacy. For your average passenger, that would probably be an advantage, however for me, I would have preferred to get a feel of the length of this plane. Nevertheless, it did provide a slightly more exclusive feel.
The cabin crew began the service by passing around with headsets, followed by amenity kits (socks and earplugs), menus, and towelettes.
Service:
Headsets:
Amenity Kit:
Menu:
Towelette:
The crew then came around with the drinks service. I could tell that they were brand new to this job as they were so careful when rolling the carts to the front. They were also on the slow side. When it was finally my turn, I asked for a tomato juice, as she placed a napkin and a small pack of savory biscuits on my tray table.
My Juice and Savory Biscuits:
Drinks Service:
It was definitely taking the crew too long till they finished the drinks service. In fact, it took them an hour and a half just to do our section. Nevertheless, I did not hold it against them as they were new and trying their best.
So I thought I would switch on the IFE and see what it had to offer. As I was trying to find something simple to watch, I found it so difficult to navigate through the system using the touch-screen feature. Every time I selected an option, it would go back to the main menu, and when I tried to use the seat control, it did not seem to work. After several attempts of trying, I managed to select Ratatouille to watch. One thing I hated about the IFE was the fact that you had to go through Etihad’s TV commercial each and every time you selected to watch anything. While the selection was great, I think the interface could be a little more user-friendly.
IFE Interface:
While the drinks service was still going on, I paused my movie and thought I would pay a quick visit to the lavatory, which was absolutely huge:
Shortly after I had returned to my seat, the used cups were collected, and the meal service began. When it was my turn, I asked for the chicken and sticky rice option and a Diet Coke to drink.
Meal Service:
My Meal:
My meal was absolutely fantastic, which I have found to be typical of the catering ex AUH. The chicken was perfectly tender and the sticky rice was scrumptious. Etihad (and AUH) definitely score quite high in this area.
Quite some time later, the crew finally came around to collect the trays and conclude the service with coffee or tea. As my tray was collected I asked for a cup of tea.
“May I have some napkins to blow my nose please?”
“Certainly, but I do not have any right now, would you mind waiting a few minutes?”
Seconds later she returned with a bundle of napkins and placed them on my table; very impressive, I thought. By that time, the mood lighting was activated, and was dimming very slowly until the lights were turned off right after all the trays were collected:
The entire meal and drink service took approximately two and a half hours. This is obviously too long for a five and a half hour night flight however, the crew as I mentioned were trying their best and were always smiling.
At this point, there were 3 more hours to go for the flight, and as Ratatouille ended, I switched to watch a popular Arabic cartoon produced in Dubai, called Freej, which is quite funny. I wasn’t able to watch the entire episode however, because I had fallen asleep right through it for about 30 minutes.
When I woke up, I found the crew passing around with a mini drink-run. As she came to me, I was offered a selection of Water, Orange Juice, Apple Juice, or Pineapple Juice. I selected the OJ. I also noticed that it was already light outside by that time.
My OJ:
The View Outside (Ah! Those raked wingtips!):
Shortly after the drink service, landing cards were distributed, and approximately an hour and a half before landing, the crew passed around with another mini drink-run.
Shortly afterwards, the mood lighting was gradually turned on in order to reflect the light outside:
About 30 minutes before landing, the fasten seatbelt sign was turned on and the captain made an announcement that we had started out descent towards Bangkok. Another announcement was made by the Cabin Manager requesting that we fasten our seatbelts, put our seats in the upright position, and stow the tray tables.
The service had come to an end by this time, and the cabin crew came around to collect the headsets, in preparation for landing.
Approach into BKK:
At exactly 7:30AM, E6-ETA touched down at Suvarnabhumi’s runway; right on time. My first impressions of the airport were quite mixed. It looked great; however it also looked quite compressed, although it is obviously big. Perhaps the white inward facing structure on the outside makes it look far smaller than it really is. The architecture in general however, was strangely seductive in a way, if that’s the right way to term it.
As the plane regressed back into taxi speed, a final announcement was made to keep our seatbelts fastened until we came to a complete stop, and to thank us for flying Etihad. Shortly afterwards, we had reached the gate and this short flight had come to an end.
Some celebrity sightings during our taxi to the gate:
TG A333 (HS-TEH):
TG 744 (HS-TGT):
TG 744 (HS-TGW in Star Alliance c/s parked next to TGT):
A QR A343! wow .. That’s a celebrity sighting! :
I am hoping this is a TG A345, but I can’t tell, would be grateful if someone could assist:
China Eastern A320 (B-6333) and TG A300B4 (HS-TAG):
As we parked at the gate, and chocks were on, the fasten seatbelt sign was switched off. Everyone got up to gather their belongings and lined up across the aisle until the doors were opened. As we exited the plane, the lovely EY crew bid us goodbye.
My mixed feelings towards Suvarnabhumi continued as I discovered its interior. Some areas were brightly lit with outstanding design, while suddenly this would all fade away when I would find myself in areas that felt like I was in a warehouse or a storage room. The best experience however, was at some points it did not feel I was inside an airport or even a building for that matter, but more like inside a whale or something similar, due to the architecture. The biggest negative point is that spotting opportunities are depressingly few and far apart, unlike Hong Kong.
Nice looking part of the terminal during the walk towards immigration:
Warehouse-looking part:
There was a huge line for immigration, as perhaps there were several morning arrivals at that time. The slow processing immigration officers did not help either, as they took their time. An interesting observation here was that for immigration purposes, you must present your boarding pass to the officer, and there is apparently no way out of it. I know for a fact that I am part of a very small sample of people who collects boarding passes and never leaves them on board.
After some time, I was done with immigration and headed towards the baggage claim area to collect my suitcase. Shortly afterwards, I was in a taxi and on my way to the hotel.
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Reply 3, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31559 times:
Hotel
Choosing a hotel in Bangkok was a much easier task for me than it was for Hong Kong. Without a doubt, a stay at the Dusit Thani was an absolute must. Being a Dusit Gold member, and a loyal customer at Dusit Dubai, there was no way I was to visit Thailand, without staying at this hotel. Furthermore, out of all the hotels I have stayed in, I believe Dusit offers the best in hospitality, warmth, and comfort. You are greeted with smiles by ALL staff, everywhere, anywhere, and anytime; truly, the best hotel out there in my opinion.
Dusit Thani Bangkok:
While the Dusit Thani in Bangkok was showing its age a little, the service definitely made up for it. The rooms were the same style as Dusit Dubai, only slightly on the older side. As a Dusit Gold member, I was upgraded to a Club Room with free internet access, Club Room access, and discounts at the restaurants and the Spa. Definitely worth every penny paid. Furthermore, right across from the hotel is a BTS Station as well as an MRT station, allowing for access to practically anywhere across town.
My Room:
Bangkok
Bangkok is a true city. Crowded, noisy, polluted and overly populated, which is what brings out its charm. Furthermore Thai people are very calm and collective, and always smiling all the time. Not to mention, Bangkok is a clubbing capital in Asia, with many popular DJ’s playing at many of the clubs. From the good, to the bad, and even the good type of bad, you can rest assured that it can be found, and done, in Bangkok.
My first impression of Bangkok was how polluted the air felt. That of course did not help my flu recovery at all. Furthermore, it took me some time to adapt to the street naming system in the city, let alone remember the long names of the streets. This resulted in my losing my way quite often while walking around the city. In addition, none of the maps are very accurate, but I later discovered that getting lost around Bangkok will truly make you appreciate what this city is all about.
A Hindu Temple off Silom Road between Pan and Pramuan Roads:
Silom Street (I think):
Bangkok Traffic:
Victory Monument:
Bangkok’s train system, the BTS Skytrain is perhaps the most reasonable mode of transport that has reach across most of the city. This system is supplemented by the MRT Subway, which covers certain areas that the BTS does not. Both the BTS as well as the MRT are quite cheap, fast, reliable, and clean. There are however certain significant areas along the Chao Phraya River like Ko Rattanakosin that are not covered by either.
BTS Skytrain:
MRT Subway Station:
The Infamous Tuk-Tuk (watch out however, the tuk-tuk drivers can lure you to shops that will rip you off):
River Cruise:
Hong Kong’s Sister Hotel, The Peninsula Bangkok:
Stopping at a gas station during the cruise:
A nice looking pagoda:
Wat Arun:
A floating mini market selling souvenirs, beer (wow!), and sodas:
Tha Chang River Pier:
A Market right by Tha Chang River Pier:
Street Food:
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A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Reply 4, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31492 times:
The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keo (a definite must in BKK):
The Emerald Bhudda:
That day, after my visit to the Grand Palace, I had planned to go across the river to see Wat Arun. A tuk-tuk driver asked where I was going, and if I had wanted a ride. When I told him I wanted to go to Wat Arun, he advised me that it had already closed, and instead he suggested taking me several other temples with a stop at a place called “Thai Center” in between. Claiming that it was THE factory that makes all designer wear for the likes of Armani etc for almost half the price, I thought why not go and check it out, even though I had no intention to buy. On the way to the first temple, which he claimed was Intharawihan, he told me that this Thai Center was actually a bunch of four to five shops and not really a mall, one of which was a jewelry store.
When we arrived at the temple, I was approached by another friendly man who eventually tried to convince me to buy some diamonds from the Thai Center for my mother for Christmas because “no one is like your mother and that you will realize her value after you get married.” We finally reach the jewelry store and I take a look around, and decide to consult my travel guide book. I realize that I was right in the middle of a typical tourist scam. So I left the store and asked the tuk-tuk driver to skip the rest of the Thai Center escapade and take me to the last temple, as per the planned itinerary.
Having said this, never ever agree to go any Thai Center as all the items sold, whether jewelry or clothing, are sold at double or even triple of what they are really worth. I was actually lucky that I did not want to buy anything in the first place. If you are told that a certain store sells sapphire or ruby, or what not, rest assured, it’s NOT.
On the way to the “Thai Center”:
Standing Bhudda at Wat Intharawihan (although I think the driver was lying):
San Sap:
Bangkok Traffic at night:
People selling all kinds of goods near the BTS Skytrain Station:
Sukhumvit:
I grew some form of attachment towards this elephant as he was quite the character. I bought special food for him from his owner and he kept grabbing it from my hand with his trunk, like a little kid reaching for a toy. Even when the food was finished, he would continue reaching for my hands in hopes of finding some more, sometimes even trying to grab my stuff (plastic bags, cigarettes etc):
The Snake Farm (one of my favorite places):
Siamese Cobra:
King Cobra:
This was pretty much a brief summary of the sights I have visited in Bangkok. The rest (and most) of my time was spent exploring the city’s wild nightlife, where I did not bring my camera. Bangkok is definitely a lot of fun, with a bursting amount of culture. The food, while seeming iffy in the streets, is absolutely great in restaurants. It is also a very safe city, just avoid being scammed at the tourist sights. Most surprisingly, was how cheap everything is. This vacation was probably the only vacation where I wasn’t broke in towards the end.
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Reply 5, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31509 times:
I allocated a full day to explore the landside area of this airport. Upon doing so is when this airport began to grow on me. The huge terminal building is divided into three main floors with access to the outside, one floor below the check-in area allocated for airline offices, restaurants, and shops, and two other lounges located on a 5th mini floor on top of the check-in area (The Sky Lounge, and The Sky Loft). The first 4 floors are efficiently connected to each other with your usual elevator system, and escalators scattered all over. In addition to this efficient design, the building was so spacious that I never felt the congestion at any given time.
One-Two-go and Air Asia:
Passenger Drop-Off Area:
Departure Entrance 5:
Departure Entrance 6, dominated by Oneworld and Skyteam:
Departure Entrance 7, where I will enter from in the next few days:
Departure Entrance 8, with Eva Air Flight Crew, on their way to LHR:
Eva Air Cabin Crew, off to LHR (I really want to try this airline):
Check-In Hall:
China Airlines Check-In Counters:
Emirates, making a bold statement with their red ticketing desks:
Gulf Air Check-In Counters (full flight today):
Philippine Airlines, full flight to MNL:
Air Fance-KLM common use facility (All Flights Check-In):
The Malaysian Airline System, To KUL:
Thai Airways, Economy Class Check-In:
MAS and Cathay Pacific Ticketing Desks:
Star Alliance Invasion:
Etihad Ticketing Desk (no barricades like EK):
Bangkok Airways Ticketing Desk (an airline that has caught my attention):
Bangkok Airways Check-In Counters:
FIDS (clickable thumbnail):
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A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Reply 7, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31484 times:
Singapore Airlines, All Flights Check-In:
SWISS, To Singapore:
Escalators:
Cathay Pacific Airport Office:
One level below Check-In:
UL Cabin Crew:
Shops:
Arrivals Hall:
Cathay Pacific Cabin Crew, from HKG, soon to BOM and then DXB:
Transportation Level:
As you can tell from all the pictures above, I really enjoyed Suvarnabhumi. I wanted to stay longer and perhaps explore it during the night, however, I figured I could do that on the day that I travel since my flight departed BKK at night. All in all I believe the airport has actually come quite a long way for only being in operating for just over a year.
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Reply 8, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31461 times:
Monday December 24th, 2007
Today was my travel day, and also my last day in Bangkok. I was dreading the fact that my holiday was coming to an end, even though the following day was Christmas. In fact, for some reason the Christmas carols that were constantly being played in the Hotel Lobby were not helping me at all, I am not sure why. In any case, all good times must come to an end, and I have to be home for Christmas.
I got up quite early that morning, so that I could take my time packing. Since my departure time was at 8:10PM that evening, I asked for a late check-out, which I was granted with no hesitation. I figured it would give me enough time to go out to a few markets and buy some souvenirs for friends and family.
After doing all what was necessary that day, I had checked out of the hotel at 5:00PM, and headed out to the airport by Taxi. By 5:30PM I was dropped off at Suvarnabhumi and I proceeded towards check-in. The terminal wasn’t crowded at all during that time of evening, however it looked absolutely stunning. There was blue lighting all over the ceiling that really brought out the metal design. So I suppose mood lighting at airports is now a concept?
As I reached Etihad’s check-in counters, I realized they were practically deserted. It seems that tonight’s flight was wide open. I also noticed that absolutely no barricades were used to facilitate passenger queuing, unlike neighboring Emirates, who had them set up even though not many passengers were checking in that night either. One nice touch however, was that there were several attendants, whom I believed were airport staff (and not EY staff), who were standing by in case any passengers needed help with their luggage etc. However I was not sure if this was a ‘perk’ offered by BKK to everyone, or by the airline on request.
Etihad Check-In Counters:
I am not sure who does the ground handling for Etihad at BKK, however I know that there is some affiliation with Lufthansa as one agent dressed in LH uniform was supervising the operation, while the other staff were all dressed in Etihad uniform. By 5:35PM I had approached a cute and petite Thai check-in agent. I handed her the necessary documents so she can process my information in the system.
Check-In Staff:
The check-in process seemed to take quite some time. While I was passing time by having a brief chat with the agent, I asked if I could take a picture of her with her colleague. She chuckled and blushed on and off. I told her not to worry, as I am only into aviation. After some convincing, she finally agreed.
Check-In Staff posing for the picture:
I had requested to be seated on the very last aisle seat in the very last row in Coral Economy Class. The agent commented that people usually request to be in the foremost front of the cabin, but I told her that I’m different. Since the flight was wide open (30% load approximately), I was assigned seat 55G. By 6:00PM, I was checked-in and ready to go.
My Boarding Pass:
The departures hall during the night:
Before heading to immigration, I thought I would pay a visit to the Sky Lounge that is located above the departures hall. It was a very nice restaurant/lounge that is available for anyone to use for having a drink, or a bite to eat etc. It also has a view of the tarmac, however still obstructed by the metallic design. Nevertheless, it was still a view.
The Sky Lounge:
By around 6:45PM, and as I was paying for the soda that I ordered, the inbound EY flight had arrived from Abu Dhabi. I gathered my belongings and proceeded towards immigration to give myself enough time to see the airside facility of the airport.
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Reply 9, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31455 times:
There was no line for immigration so the whole process was hassle-free. By around 7:00PM I was airside. I proceeded to walk around the terminal and check out what the duty-free had to offer. The terminal has a common central area where all the shops are located and where all passengers can use. This central area branches out into the separate departure areas (A,B,C,D,E etc), where only passengers who are traveling from their respective gates can go through. In my opinion, this concept could cause some congestion at the common use area and wasting some space by the gates. But I am no expert here!
BKK Airside:
By 7:35PM I headed towards my gate (E1). I went through security and towards the holding area.
E gates (lots of space that could be used more efficiently):
Gate Information:
Interestingly, I had to go one level down to get to the holding area:
I went for a quick smoke in an adjacent smoking room, before heading back into the holding area. By that time it was 7:45PM and a boarding announcement was made. Since the load tonight was light, the boarding process was very quick. I handed my boarding pass to the Etihad Agent who tore off the larger portion for herself and handed me back the smaller side, and wished me a pleasant flight. As I was heading towards the gate, I took a quick glance at the aircraft outside, and realized that it was A6-ETB.
A6-ETB:
Boarding:
I was greeted by two female Etihad girls at door 2L who both smiled simultaneously and welcomed me on board. By 7:55PM I was on board.
CNTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Reply 10, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31497 times:
Flight No.: EY 401 Routing: Bangkok – Abu Dhabi Scheduled Departure Time: 8:10PM Actual Departure Time: 08:25PM (Pushback) Scheduled Arrival Time: 11:45PM Actual Arrival Time: 11:40PM Equipment: Boeing 777-300ER Registration: A6-ETB
Facts, figures, and opinions of the aircraft in general:
According to www.airfleets.net A6-ETB was delivered to Etihad Airways on February 27th, 2006, making it the 2nd oldest B77W for EY.
As with A6-ETE, this aircraft was as clean, and as spotless. Furthermore, the aircraft looked well maintained as well.
One thing I have come to realize was that no matter how old a Boeing aircraft can be, it will always look almost factory fresh, whereas the older an Airbus plane gets, the more its age will show.
Boarding:
As I was walking towards my seat, my way was blocked by a male cabin crew who had his back facing me, and was busy chatting away with one of his colleagues. As he seemed to be quite focused on his galley-gossip, I politely said “excuse me”, when I found him giving me a strange look for interrupting him.
When I reached my seat, I figured that since the load was light for tonight, I might as well take the two window-aisle seats next to my assigned seat:
Leg Space:
The cabin crew on tonight’s flight mostly seemed to be of Russian / Eastern European descent, with a few Far Easterners, British, and Arabs.
Cabin Shots:
Very Beautiful Russian Crew:
The cabin crew started with the pre-departure service by passing around the usual water to the very few of us who were traveling to Abu Dhabi tonight. This was shortly followed by the captain’s departure announcement informing us of flight information pertain to tonight’s journey to Abu Dhabi.
Captain Announcement at 8:10PM:
We pushed back at 08:25PM, and I was so disappointed to discover that the mood lighting wasn’t activated. In fact, it was never used throughout the entire flight. Having said this, I could not help but wonder whether there is any reason for that and whether the mood lighting is used only during certain times to meet some specific purpose? Why is not used all the time?
As we pushed back, the captain made an announcement: “cabin crew arm all doors and crosscheck”. This was followed by another announcement requesting the crew to perform a manual safety demonstration. Just my luck, I thought. However, as I was getting ready to film it on my digital camera, one of performing crew saw me, and made a quick call to the crew located in the back, who came to me and requested that I switch my camera off because it is not allowed.
A smooth taxi to the runway and by 8:40PM the engines roared into anger and A6-ETB began its progression. In no time we were up in the air, as we were very light tonight. I did notice that the 77W was slightly noisier when sitting in my location. However, it got quieter after the roll and as we reached cruising altitude.
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 852 posts, RR: 23 Reply 11, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31473 times:
As we reached cruising altitude, the fasten seatbelt sign was switched off and the cabin crew got up to prepare for the service. Headsets, amenity kits, menus and towelettes were passed around.
Menu:
This was shortly followed the drinks service:
I switched the IFE on to watch something without sound while the service was going on. This time around the seat controller was working and it was much easier to navigate through the system without any glitches. I randomly selected a documentary on New York called Quintessential-New York:
By then, the crew had reached my seat with the trolley and asked what I would like to drink, as she placed a napkin and a pack of savory biscuits on my tray table. I felt like having something alcoholic this time around so I requested a bloody Mary:
Shortly afterwards, the used cups were collected and the dinner carts were rolled out. As my turn came, I selected the Pad Thai option with a Diet Coke to drink.
Meal Service:
My Meal:
Diet Coke:
A Christmas-type chocolate was placed on the tray, albeit melted because it was placed next to the hot dish, along with a little message in celebration for Christmas. I thought that was a nice touch:
The meal, as always, was fantastic, with no fault to report here. While I ate, I decided to watch King of Queens (I love that show). In fact, I ended up watching several episodes of it during the flight.
IFE:
As everyone finished eating, the crew came around to collect the trays and conclude the service with coffee or tea. My tray was collected and I declined the coffee or tea, in hopes that I could get some sleep. However, I ended up watching more King of Queens and just forgot about sleeping.
Lounging Around:
IFE Seat Control:
Galley:
Lavatory:
One of the reasons why I was unable to sleep was due to the loud chatter coming from the galley, as the crew were all gathered up talking about traveling, boyfriend troubles, acquiring a UAE liquor license, and some about getting their driving license. You name it, I heard it all, but I guess that is one disadvantage of being seated in close proximity to the galley.
Mini-drink runs were performed every 30 minutes throughout the flight. The first time, I selected Pineapple Juice:
The nice looking Russian crew approached me while I was snapping pictures of the cabin and nicely asked for the reason for that. She found it to be strange after I told her that I am into aviation. She stated that this could be dangerous, however I reassured her when I told her I was airport staff myself. We then had a little chat about our jobs, and how long she has been working for Etihad (1 month!). She also said that she loves this job because of all the traveling she is doing etc. Before leaving, she said “well I hope to see you sometime, perhaps at the airport.”
The rest of the flight was uneventful. By 11:15PM Abu Dhabi time, the fasten seatbelt sign was switched on and the crew began their preparations for landing. The IFE was switched off and the crew collected the headsets.
Some shots during our descent:
Many seem to find this feature on Arab airlines to be weird, not sure why:
By 11:37PM the cabin crew were requested to take their seats for landing, and by 11:40PM A6-ETB had touched down at Abu Dhabi International Airport. As we taxied to the gate, an announcement was made, as follows:
As we reached our remote stand (E3), the engines were switched off and the fasten seatbelt sign was switched off. Everyone got up to gather their belongings and prepare to disembark:
Since it was peak-time at AUH, priority for using loading bridges is given to the once-daily foreign carriers (KL, BA, LH, SQ etc) as a courtesy, in addition to the high security Etihad flights (JFK, YYZ etc). Most other Etihad flights will be allocated to the remote stands. As I deplaned, I thanked the cabin crew for their effort and proceeded down the stairs and to the bus:
… I was home for Christmas.
In conclusion, I have no major fault to report about Etihad Airways. In fact, I was quite pleased with their service. Mind you, I was in a mindset where I was just waiting to see any small flaw to critique, but I found nothing. While the crew generally didn’t have that welcoming warmth to them, and were definitely more concerned about traveling the world, they still delivered very good service and were there for your needs. Sure enough, Etihad is not Cathay Pacific, but then again, no one is and no one will ever be. However, they definitely did please in delivering a great economy class product. Perhaps I could say that they did change the way I see the world, as I am more confident to fly Etihad for medium/long haul flights that Oneworld may not be an option for.
Some final pictures:
Goodies:
This concludes my TR. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your comments are always appreciated, and in fact, always encouraged.
THE END
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
Powercube From Australia, joined Jul 2007, 231 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 31301 times:
Wow, that is a fantastic TR! Those cabin photos are gorgeous. What kind of camera were you using?
I am rather jealous of your experience on a medium haul EY flight in Y. With respect to the lav, even down to the two soap/hand cream dispensers- it is identical to the J lavs on AC. Another question were you flying on Christmas eve/day? The little card that EY handed out was a great touch.
Triple7man From Thailand, joined May 2005, 469 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 6 hours ago) and read 31223 times:
The only thing I can say about a very excellent and thorough TR is you made me feel like I was right there. I will enjoy coming back to this TR many times.
Allrite From Australia, joined Aug 2007, 816 posts, RR: 2 Reply 22, posted (1 year 10 months 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 30357 times:
Fantastic and detailed trip report! Your Bangkok photos were especially useful as I am going there next month for the first time (though I already know about the "closed sight" and tuk-tuk shopping trip scams.
UK_Dispatcher From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2001, 2228 posts, RR: 32 Reply 23, posted (1 year 10 months 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 30209 times:
Thanks very much for an excellent and very detailed report. I very much enjoyed reading it and looking at the many photos.
Quoting Ronerone (Thread starter): Ground handling for all airlines at AUH, as you may know, is done by ADAS. Etihad on the other hand is looking into doing their own ground handling (and at one point, catering as well) in the future. While that is a good idea from a service point of view, I think Etihad should stay away from this for now.
Why do you think they should stay away from self-handling?
Quoting Ronerone (Thread starter): I was excited about immigration this time around, because I had subscribed to the UAE-Gate service. This service allows you to go through immigration to and from any airport in the UAE, by using a card that stores all your information, including your fingerprints. This is done by going through dedicated UAE-Gate self-service kiosks by using your card and fingerprint. This process took less than 2 minutes and was absolutely fantastic.
I use the UAE-gate service too. It is great when departing/arriving at AUH or DXB.
Quoting Ronerone (Thread starter): When I reached my gate, a queue had started to form by the security check. I went to the police officer in charge and asked him for a plastic bag to place my liquids in. He gave me the strangest look and asked what the reason for that was. I explained to him what I was told at check-in, and he just cut me off and ordered me to just stand in line and practically forget about it. So much for the LAG%u2019s!
Why am I not surprised by this? Tut!
Quoting Ronerone (Reply 1): All 77W%u2019s with Etihad are in a 2-class configuration used primarily on Asia routes, including certain flights to Saudi Arabia and depending on seasonality, to Brisbane.
The specific config of the B777-300ER is J28 Y350.
Quoting Ronerone (Reply 8): I am not sure who does the ground handling for Etihad at BKK, however I know that there is some affiliation with Lufthansa as one agent dressed in LH uniform was supervising the operation, while the other staff were all dressed in Etihad uniform.
Lufthansa are Etihad's handling agent in BKK. The staff who check you in are LH staff in EY uniform.
Quoting Ronerone (Reply 8): Before heading to immigration, I thought I would pay a visit to the Sky Lounge that is located above the departures hall. It was a very nice restaurant/lounge that is available for anyone to use for having a drink, or a bite to eat etc. It also has a view of the tarmac, however still obstructed by the metallic design. Nevertheless, it was still a view.
I usually pop into the Sky Lounge for a last beer too. It is a nice place with views over part of the ramp, but it is a shame that a proper viewing area was not included in the new airport. There are basically no photographing opportunities at the new BKK, which is a real shame.
Quoting Powercube (Reply 12): Another question were you flying on Christmas eve/day? The little card that EY handed out was a great touch.
I flew BRU-AUH with EY on Boxing Day and they offered a christmas meal option in addition to the options on the menu. It was one of the best airline meals I have ever had in J Class and was a great touch.
OA260 From Ireland, joined Nov 2006, 16762 posts, RR: 53 Reply 25, posted (1 year 10 months 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 29911 times:
Fantastic TR and photos as usual!!! Your Trip reports are top class.....
Thanks for sharing , it was like being there myself . Yet again EY prove to have a top class product.
Olympic Air "Η Ελλάδα ψηλά" - ''Flying Greece Sky High''
26 JetSetter629: AWESOME report! I really felt like I was along on the trip with you!
27 Buck3y3nut: Amazing trip report. Great details and Bangkok is truly beautiful. Really enjoyed the pictures and the report. thank you very much for writing this re
28 HikesWithEyes: Great job, one of the most thorough T/Rs I have read.
29 Ronerone: Thank you all for your great comments and support. They are very much appreciated! I was using a mix between your average digi cam and a DSLR, dependi
30 Plane Holland: Indeed a nice trip report, I really enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to future reports.
31 B747forever: Brilliant TR The pics and videos are really good. A really long TR but worth to read!! EY is a great carrier!! Thank you for sharing B747forever
32 ThaiA345: Hi Roni! Great to see that you thoroughly enjoyed your trip to BKK! I was actually in BKK for 1 night on 21 Dec. If I knew you were also in BKK, I wou
33 SR 103: Roni, this was simply amazing. Great report with some amazing pictures to go with it. They have to learn sooner or later. Better to start early and ma
34 Ronerone: Thank you all for your kind comments. Always appreciated! Mr. Anosh! Thanks for taking the time to read it and comment. Glad you enjoyed it! Believe m
35 KLM685: WOW! What a fantastic Trip Report! I spent the last 40 minutes reading it and looking at the pictures with amusement. WONDERFUL! Brilliant work! Thank
36 Ronerone: Hi KLM685, Thanks for reading and for your comments. I like your TR's as well! Keep them coming. Regards, Roni
37 Airbus767: That's one amazing trip report!!! I loved it, and the pictures too, they were really amazing! The really carried me through the whole amazing trip, a
38 Karan69: Roni, this was simply amazing. Great report keep up the good work mate, Altough thanks to the volume of pics and the slower internet speeds here it to
39 Aleksandar: Roni, all I can say for this TR is WOOOW, and I mean it. It is great. I enjoyed reports from both flights and from Bangkok. As for the new airport, na
40 Ronerone: Karan, Long time man! Thanks for reading my report. I am glad you enjoyed it. I hope to see more of ur TR's soon..It's about time! Sorry! .. i got ca
41 Aleksandar: Actually, I wanted to say that the airport looks a bit sterile and cold. Maybe it is just because I love old-fashioned building with all their proble
42 LH423: Normally I don't write in trip report threads but I had to congratulate you on putting together one of the most detailed and finest trip reports I've
43 Karan69: Got to do some flying before i can write one up my friend, Oh please dont do that , i did say it was worth the wait Thanks for clearing that up mate,
44 Airpearl: Hey Roni Absolutely F Class report... thanks for sharing! Happy to see you got a couple of decent flights aboard EY... I can't wait to try them again
45 Ronerone: You should come to UAE. now with CX going daily BOM-DXB soon, you now have so many flights/airlines to choose from Surprisingly, not a single suspici
46 Scotron11: Hotel Choosing a hotel in Bangkok was a much easier task for me than it was for Hong Kong. Without a doubt, a stay at the Dusit Thani was an absolute
47 RacingGreen07: This feature is there because it shows which way the Qiblah is (we pray in the direction of the Qiblah). Therefore if a muslim wishes to pray whilst
48 Ronerone: Thanks for reading! .. Yes, Dusit Thani is apparently one of the oldest hotels in BKK. Certainly not older than the Oriental though. Very True. I am
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